Walpole, Hugh Seymour (1884-1941), was one of the most popular British novelists of the early 1900’s. His finest novels are probably the “Herries Chronicles” (1930-1933), a series of four historical novels set in England in the 1700’s. The series includes Rogue Herries, Judith Paris, The Fortress, and Vanessa. Walpole wrote over 30 other novels on a variety of subjects. In The Dark Forest (1916) and The Secret City (1919), he described his World War I experiences with the Red Cross in Russia. The Cathedral (1922) is based on his experiences as a clergyman’s son. Portrait of a Man with Red Hair (1925) is a horror story about a brutal murderer.
Walpole was born on March 13, 1884, in Auckland, New Zealand, and was sent to school in England at the age of 5. King George VI knighted him in 1937, and the writer became known as Sir Hugh Walpole. He died on June 1, 1941.
